Ahead of the Windows 8.1 preview release, here is how the revised Start Button will work

Tomorrow, Windows 8.1 public preview will be available, but thanks to the release of Windows Server 2012 R2 preview yesterday, we get to see how the Start Button will likely function once it makes its way back to the Windows operating system. For those that are pining for the old “Start Menu,” those days are gone, plain and simple. However, the return of the Start Button itself is going to bring some much needed familiar function to the desktop.

When you right-click in the lower left corner of the screen in Windows 8, you are presented with a quick-access menu to the standard fare, control panel, search, and run as well as other features. For Windows 8.1, right-clicking the new Start Button provides the same quick-access menu but adds “shut down” and “restart” to the list.

Left clicking on the Start Button brings you back to the “modern” Start Screen, but the right-click menu helps things a lot. In addition to the new Start Button, there are some extra settings in the properties with a new tab “Navigation.” This allows you to disable the top-left and top-right features (task switching and charms) and configure the Start Button.

These settings will also let you enable you to set up boot-to-desktop too. The Microsoft Build Conference begins in San Francisco tomorrow. There will certainly be more news about Windows 8.1 and probably Windows Phone and the other services that Microsoft is putting together.

I look forward to continued improvments to Windows 8.x! Compatiblity for StartIsBack is already in the works thanks to yesterdays release! (the FANTASTIC dev for SiB is always slaving away for us bleeing edge POWER users!)

6.ilia1986 (unregistered)

"Just ignore most computer OS experience you had prior and it feels great. "

Sure. Let's throw the almost 30 years of experience people had with mouse+desktop based GUI out of the window and just expect everyone to instantly adapt to something completely different that isn't necessarily better.

It's like you launch a man into space without proper preparation on earth and just expect him to adapt, and when he complains you say that the entire experience is more 'fluid'.

It doesn't work that way. You wanna people to change their habits - you gotta introduce that change gradually. And no, saying that I still have the old desktop is pointless since the whole point of using Win8 is the live tiles and the 'modern' UI.

9.ilia1986 (unregistered)

Easy - because the level of productivity for most people (most people didn't have a smartphone and thus didn't rely on a physical keyboard) - actually went UP. In addition you couldn't use a touchscreen on a non touch-screen device which had a far smaller screen, obviously.

The situation is completely different as the modern UI severely reduces the level of productivity compared to the desktop, AND Microsoft is shoving windows 8 to non-touchscreen devices which were obviously not meant for it.

17.ilia1986 (unregistered)

One little start button? You really think that this is what it is about? This isn't the start button. It's the entire second OS AKA Modern UI with the windows store, full screen apps, lack of ability to display several apps at once, etc etc etc.

I think the problem is somewhere else, of course win7 is fantastic, stable, reliable, and so on, but don't forget it came after VISTA!!! the worst thing happened to PC since winMe, lots of ppl where afraid to update because of that. That's why winXp is still commonly used by lots of users.

Took me only a couple of days to adapt to no start button. Heck, i dont even need it anymore.
Thereare those who adapt to changes, either faster or slower, but those who refuse to adapt to changes and learn are the ones putting the blame on others - b!tching about windows 8, when i find it way more superior than windows 7. Even some of my friends who uses Mac more is liking windows 8 a lot.

Yes, Microsoft really screwed up Windows 8 with its hidious metro. Metro is just awful to use, on desktops, laptops, mobile devices. The designer at microsoft should be fired for this atrocity. The only thing that is good with W8 is that it takes less battery, so better for laptops, but not on desktop.

Honestly, the task bar looks much more cleaner without it. The boot-to-desktop mode will be wlecomed by many. However, Windows 8 really does truly shine when using the Metro apps. I feel that once Firefox gets its Metro app and I upgrade to Office 2013 apps, I probably won't have to use the Desktop app much.

10.cse.vicky (unregistered)

Yes Windows 8 is a lot faster and comes with a lot of more features.

But I still prefer Windows 7 to Windows 8, mostly because the desktop and metro UI are way off from each other.
Say you work more on desktop, you will not like Windows 8. But if you are a user with more use of mail, web and apps, and a little of desktop, then Windows 8 is a great choice :)

The Start button never actually disappeared. The Start Menu (as in XP and W7) did.

Instead you get the Start Screen, but the Start Button was always available by hovering over the lower left-hand corner. Now, the menu above is not the Start Menu. And to be honest, except for the addition of the Shutdown options it is essentially the same as the menu found in the present W8.

I use Windows 8 Pro on my non-touch screen laptop and get along just fine without it. I do not care it has been added back to the taskbar, but I will now need to click that instead of right-click to acccess the menu. Same as W7.

For me this was always a non-issue, and a big "meh" when it came to the gnashing of teeth over the loss of the button and menu. What I have yet to find a good solution to is changing audio settings from the "Modern" or "metro" side. I have to go back to the systray in the desktop to accomplish that unless I am missing some work around. Same with the Keyboard when switching from an English Type Cover to the Japanese Touch Cover. Fix that for me and I will be an even happier camper.

BTW...I am waiting to try out the same desktop WP...To me that means the Start "Menu" Screen will become even more like the previous in as much as it will not be a jarring departure from the desktop and visa versa.

The insider story and my take on Windows 8 being dumbed down - Microsoft is trying to "simplify" Windows 8 to prepare to make the jump from the desktop to the tablet platform, thus removing Aero, the "traditional" Start button, other services, etc., and making it more touch friendly.

Obviously tablet and mobile sales are quickly overtaking the traditional PC market and predictions that 1:1 sales of tablets to traditional PC will occur some time in 2017, or even overtaking traditional PC sales.

I cannot believe this is happening - Microsoft trying to kill its own products by dumbing it down. I can probably understand Microsoft killing the competition's products (Symbian, MeeGo, Harmattan, Meltemi, etc.,) but this is too much.

Making that jump to tablets and mobile computers is the prime focus in castrating Windows 8. *sigh*

I don't understand what apprehension does Microsoft has in giving us the option to have the old styled Start button? Rather give us the choice to use either of the two options i.e. the normal start button or a tile mode.

since I am going to buy a touch screen monitor as soon as I can I I wont disable the functions of side snapping to multitask or top and bottom gestures or disable seeing the 5 charms. when I put my mouse pointer to the lower right corner of the screen I may set it to boot to desktop since I am there most of the time. over all these changes make Windows 8.1 much more useful to you desktop only folks because you no longer have to go to the start screen or see the 5 charms or use the top/bottom and side gestures to do things with. you welcome back the boredom of Windows 7

I have set up Win8 and used it a while, it has its appeal but I really cant stand it. The app store feels like its still in beta and it seems like a lot of the apps are redundant. I find myself having to set up a microsoft account to enable various features that I really dont have a need for, care about or fully understand why I need them. Its almost like its an internet connected OS now instead of a secured system. The saying "Windows OS is so different that you might as well switch to Linux" has never rang so true as it does when looking at Win8. Using the mouse to open menues is just redicuouls. You have to put in the corner just right and even when you open the menus if your not totally precise you will lose the menu. The active tiles you can set just are far too few and to me just seem mostly useless unless your a major social buff who wants to share with everyone that your urninating in a gastation bathroom that looks like the toilet blew up in. The desktop is confusing and you cant really revert back to anything familiar. With Linux I can switch to another window manager with an interface I feel more comfortable with. With Windows, im stuck with whatever Microsoft thinks I should be using (because of course they know better what I like then I do). So to all the free thinkers out there who know what they want and are being ridiculed for it, i hear you. For those who want to let Microsoft tell you what you want, stop drinking the kool-aid (google it if you dont get it). For windows i run WinXP and Win7. Securing the systems (WInXP/7) is much easier, setting up limited user accounts is more straight forward and figuring things out is much more intuitive for the lay user. Ill stick to WinXP/7 for windows.

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